Earth anchor



H. R. OGBURN EARTH ANCHOR Dec. 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17,1946 S u .R M m 0 r M M r M.

Dec. 6, 1949 H. R. OGBURN 2,490,465

EARTH ANCHOR Filed May 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ha 1-Ie y R. O burn INV EN TOR.

- ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,490,465EARTH ANCHOR Harley R. Ogburn, Marshall, Tex.

Application May 17, 1946, Serial No. 670,449

7 Claims. (Cl. 18992) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in earth anchors.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved expansible anchoradapted to be positively expanded in an earth hole.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved earth anchorhaving a screwthreaded anchor rod engaged in a base member and afollower head slideable on the rod; together with expansible wingspivoted to the base member in a new and novel manner, whereby the wingsare more efliciently fulcrumed and held in place and links pivoted tothe follower head and the wings in a new and novel manner, whereby amore substantial structure is had and the anchor is more easilyoperated.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. l is an elevation of an anchor constructed I in accordance with theinvention and in its collapsed or closed position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the anchor in the same position, partly inelevation and partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig.1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a view of the anchor in its expanded or open position, partlyin section and partly in elevation,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the anchor as shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. '7 is asectional view of one of the base member sockets.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 designates an anchor rod having an eye Hat its upper end and screw-threaded therebelow. The rod screwed downthrough the base when said base is resting on the bottom of the hole. Anelongate spacer sleeve |8 resting upon the base member I3, looselysurrounds the rod. This sleeve acts to limit the expansion or outwardswing of the wings, when the head comes to rest thereon. The sleevecould be made integral with the base member.

I prefer to make the anchor with three wings M, as this number is mostdesirable; however, the number may be decreased or increased. Each winghas an arched medial portion l9 merged into a downwardly curved blade 20at its outer end. The inner end of each wing is merged from the archedmedial portion into a reverse curved shank 2|, which is considerablyless in width than said medial portion.

The base member I3 is formed with three equidistant lugs 22 which extendradially from the center of said member. Each lug is provided with asocket 23 open at its outer end and formed with a bottom 24 inclinedupwardly and inwardly to a concaved transverse sump 25. A transversefulcrum rocker 26, formed on the lower end of the shank is adapted tofit and rock in the sump 25. Each rocker has a flat base 21substantially flush with the bottom of the shank so that when the wingis held at an angle below the horizontal, the fulcrum may be inserted inthe socket by sliding the flat base inwardly on the bottom 24 until therocker engages in the sump. When the wing is swung upwardly, the rockerwill be held against outward displacement in the sump, as will beobvious. The rocker is broad enough to give a substantial bearing andthe parts are heavy enough to withstand all stresses and strains.

The medial portion [9 of each wing is formed with a slot 28 extendinglongitudinally thereof, and each slot is provided with complementarysinous flanges 29 on each side thereof. Each link l5 has a, transversecylindrical rocker 36 at its lower end which engages in the slot 28under the flanges 29 and cylindrical keeper lugs 3| spaced above therocker and overhanging said flanges. The slots are of such length andthe flanges are sufficiently spaced so that when the link is turned Withthe rocker parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slot, said rockermay be passed downwardly between the flanges and then by reverselyturning the link it is brought to the position shown in the drawingswhereby it is confined in the slot.

The follower head I6 is formed with T-shaped sockets 32 having reducedradial slots 33 in their bottoms. Each link I5 has a transverse rocker34 on its upper end engaging in the sockets so that the link may swingin the slots. A circular keeper plate 34 is fastened on the head I6 bymachine screws 36 so as to overhang the sockets for the purpose ofconfining the rockers therein. It is obvious that the follower head maybe moved up and down on the rod l without disconnecting the links fromeither said head or the wings and said wings will be expanded andcontracted upon such movement.

In using the anchor, it is inserted in a hole in the earth in thecollapsed or closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A suitable tool(not shown) is engaged with the eye I I and the anchor rod [0 is thenrotated so as toserew it down through the base member l3. The blades ofthe wings will rest upon the side wall of the hole and the links willkeep the follower head [6 in engagement with the nut ll. As the rodmoves downwardly, the nut I! will bear on the head [6 and transmit adownward. thrust to the links I5, due. to the fact that the base member13 is resting on the bottom of the earth hole. The downward thrust ofthe links will be transmitted. by the lugs 3| to the flanges 29 wherebythe wings will be expanded or forced outward and thecurved blades causedto penetrate the side wall of the hole and embed themselves in theearth. The wings have a general pear shape, as is best shown in Fig. 6,and the blades 20 are. reduced in thickness toward their outercontracted ends. Due to this construction and the. downward curve 01saizLblades, it is obvious that they will readily penetrate the earth.The rotating of. the anchor rod I9 is continued until the head It comesto rest upon. the top of the sleeve 8, at which time the wings will befully expanded andv the anchoring operation will be completed.

If the workmanshould fail to expand. the wings or only partially expandthe same, a subsequent upward pull on the anchor rod would. cause thewings to bite into the side wall of. the hole and thus prevent theanchor from pulling out. oi the hole. This would be due to the shape ofthe blades 26 and the upward movement of the base member I3 coupled withthe fulcrums offered by the links and the limited upward movement of thehead IS on the rod.

The foregoing description of thev invention. is explanatory thereof andvarious changes in the size, shape and materials, aswell as in thedetails of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An earth anchor including, a screw-threaded anchor rod, a base memberhaving screwthreaded connection with said rod and provided with fulcrumsockets, expansible wings having rockers at their lower ends fulcrumedin the sockets of the base member, a follower head slideable on the rodhaving sockets, the medial portions of the wings having slotstherethrough provided with flanges, and links having rockers on theirupper ends fulcrumed in the head sockets and having their lower endsextending through the slots with rockers on their lower ends confined inthe slots of the wings and engaging above and below the flanges thereof.

2. An earth anchor including, a base member having radial sockets openat the outer face of the base and having transverse semi-cylindricalsumps at their inner ends, saidsockets each having a longitudinal slotin its top open through the top of said base member, upstanding curvedwings having transverse elongate rockers at their lower ends insertableradially of the base from the outer ends of the sockets and having theirshanks extending through the slots of the sockets of the base memberwhen said wings are moved to an upstanding position, whereby the rockersare held against upward displacement in said sockets, a head, arotatable anchor rod extending loosely through the head and havingscrewthreaded engagement in the base member, links having their upperends fulcrumed in the head and extending downwardly, and rockerconnections between the lower ends of the links and the medial portionsof the wings.

3. An earth anchor including a base member having sockets directedinwardly from the outer surface thereof, each socket having an upwardlyinclined bottom with a sump at the upper end of said bottom and a slotin the top of the socket overlying the bottom, a plurality of upstandingwings, each wing having a transverse semi-cylindrical rocker at itsbottom having a flat side for sliding up the bottom of its correlatedsocket to the sump when the rocker is. inserted in said socket, saidwing being movable to an upstanding position, whereby its shank extendsthrough the slot and its rocker is held against upward displacement, arotatable anchor rod having screw-threaded engagement in the basemember, a head loosely mounted in the rod, and links pivotallyconnecting the head with the medial portions. of the wings.

4. An earth anchor including, a head having T-shaped horizontal socketsextending radially to the outer surface of the head, each socket havinga reduced slot in its bottom, links each having its shank extendingthrough one of the slots of a socket and a transverse rocker engaging insaid socket, a base member, a rotatable anchor rod extending looselythrough the head and having'screw-threaded engagement in the basememher, and upstanding wings having their lower ends fulcrumed in thebase member, the links extending downwardly from the head to the medialportions of the wings, each wing having a slot through its medialportion and flanges in said slot, and spaced transverse rockers on thelower ends of the links disposed in the wing slots above and below theflanges thereof.

5. An earth anchor including, a head, a base member, an anchor rodhaving screw-threaded engagement in the base member and extendingloosely through the head, wings having their lower ends fulcrumed in thebase member, each wing having a slot therethrough at its medial portionhaving flanges on opposite sides, and links fulcrumed at their upperends in the head, each link having a rocker at its lower end engaging inthe slot of a correlated wing under the flanges and a transverse-keeperengaging in the slot over the flanges.

6. An earth anchor including, a base member having divergent outwardlydirected slotted sockets, wings having transverse rockers on their lowerends-insertable inwardly in the base sockets and held againstdisplacement from the base in all upright positions above the horizontalplane of the base, said wings each having a medial slot, and linkshaving their upper ends fulcrumed in the head, each link having itslower end loosely confined in" the" slot of a correlated wing and heldagainst displacement in all swinging positions of the wings.

7. An earth anchor including, a base member ing, and a sleeve member onthe rod resting onthe base member, the wing rockers being insert'ableand removable from the sockets radially ofj 'ithe member only when thewings are swung down to outlying positions not above the horizontalplane of said member. HARLEY R. OGBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file c!this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 912,018 McNutt Feb. 9, 1909915,784 Miller Mar. 23, 1909 1,606,147 Cole et a1. Nov. 9, 19261,724,341 Cole Aug. 13, 1929 1,778,372 Pieper Oct. 14, 1930 1,964,610Wagner June 26, 1934 1,984,268 Horner Dec. 11, 1934

